Want to get married in Jamaica? Here are somethings you need to know!
Jamaica is the ideal location for a destination wedding. Jamaica has tropical weather all year round, beautiful sunsets, delicious food, talented entertainment and a wide variety of excursions and other offerings.
Once you have decided to get married in Jamaica, you may want to find a Destination Wedding Planner who specializes in Jamaica. Your wedding Planner can then guide you throughout the process.
Simultaneously you would want to be working with a Travel Agent who can assist you with choosing the best resort for your budget and wish list. Most destination weddings that happen in Jamaica, stay at an all-inclusive resort or villa and then either get married on-resort or off-resort.
Getting married at the resort works well for couples looking to stay in the confines of the resort. They may not care about privacy and the all-inclusive wedding package may appeal to them, particularity if the resort is offering inclusions based on the number of guests staying at the hotel. Resort weddings are a good fit for couples looking for a one-stop shop without many customizations and can be cheaper, especially if the group is small (under 20 guests).
Off-resort, also known as off-site destination weddings are held at an outside wedding venue where the guests aren’t overnighting. A good portion of destination weddings in Jamaica, still stay at hotels(usually all-inclusive) and some of those couples choose to move the wedding day activities off property. There are many advantages to hosting an off-resort wedding, which include but are not limited to guests having a unique and authentic experience, flexibility in wedding times, privacy and flexibility of customization as well as premier vendor selection.
Jamaica has a wide variety of religions and some venues are able to accommodate them. Selected wedding vendors can also accommodate a selection of cuisines and dietary restrictions.
Christian, Catholic, Sikh (Vegan), Hindu(Vegetarian), Muslim(Halal), Jewish(Kosher)
Jamaica has a wide variety of vendors and it’s best to get a recommendation from your Wedding Planner prior to signing your contracts to ensure they are reliable. These vendors include Photographers, Videographers, DJ’s, Bands, Entertainers, Caterers, Officiants, Florists, Officiants, Wedding Planners etc.
Couples can often choose the start time off-resort but must chose a time slot at the resort as there are likely multiple weddings happening that day. We do recommend hosting the ceremony a few hours before the sunset for the best lighting and warm but not too hot. We use the online sunset calendar to give you the exact time, the sun will set.
Both off-resort and on-resort, you may choose to have a legal or symbolic wedding ceremony, however the requirements might be slightly different depending on venue. The residency, for a legal wedding is 24 hours in Jamaica but some resorts require an arrival several days before the wedding to ensure the legal paperwork is in order. For a cruise ship wedding, the ship must doc for a minimum of 6 hours for a legal wedding to be performed. A registered marriage officer from Jamaica, must perform all legal weddings. Some resorts also have requirements for symbolic weddings, however most off-resort venues have no restrictions in this area and will let anyone perform this.
To legally get married in Jamaica, all documents presented must be in the English language. If originals are in another language they need be translated by certified translators(certification of authenticity should be included). The paperwork consists of an information form of your personal details as well as notarized photo ID. The resort or Wedding Venue will often deal with this paperwork prior to the arrival on island and you will receive your certificate in approximately 6 weeks after your wedding(sometimes longer).
By Jennifer Borgh, Owner of Borghinvilla Wedding Venue www.borghinvilla.com
Photos by Merrick Cousley Photography